The Eyes That See All, Except What Lies Within
by Uchiha Ryken
Summary: Sasuke returns to Konoha a slightly different man. But is he there to stay? Can a pinkhaired kunoichi turn him around? Spoilers up to the Japanese Manga. However, I started this before the Hebi arc, so it will differ from the current arc. Probably won't be continued due to unclear vision for future, as fair warning to any completionists. [SasuSaku]
1. An Unwelcomed Return

Thank you for choosing my fic, "The Eyes That See All, Except What Lies Within"! I started writing this SasuSaku last summer, before chapter 350, so my story will differ greatly from that of the current chapters.

Right now, I'm in the process of revising chapters, so if you get to the later chapters and don't like it, I ask that you give me some time, because it's not going quite the way I envisioned it. Thanks again for reading!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

**Chapter 1- An Unwelcomed Return  
**

"I didn't come here to start a war," Sasuke Uchiha said flatly to the ANBU guards that had surrounded him outside Konoha's walls. Word spread quickly that the missing-nin had returned. He had expected company, but not so soon. Orochimaru's attack had definitely left an impression on the peaceful village of Konoha.

They all had their katanas drawn, some shifted their grip as they prepared themselves for whatever might come next.

"Ironic," a voice said from behind one of the black ops. Kakashi Hatake stepped out from behind the line of ANBU. "That's exactly what Itachi said the first time we fought. And just look what's happened since then."

Kakashi pointed with his kunai at Sasuke's neck, threateningly.

"Don't compare me to that bastard," Sasuke growled, his Uchiha blood beginning to boil. The irises of his eyes blurred to a blood red, and three tomoe split from his pupils.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Kakashi asked coldly.

"This is my home," Sasuke replied evenly.

"Not anymore."

"You won't allow me to pass?"

"I'm not even sure I should allow you to live," Kakashi said, tightening his grip on the kunai.

Sasuke laughed softly. The sound sent chills down Kakashi's spine. It was the same laugh that Naruto had heard as Sasuke drenched himself in the cursed powers of his seal of heaven.

"You haven't changed at all, have you Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke said in an amused tone. He glared at Kakashi. "But here are the facts: First, I said I didn't come to start a war, meaning you don't need to concern yourself with me. And second, if I had come to fight..."

His glare hardened, and the gravity of his chakra suddenly filled the area. The ANBU could feel his power pushing down on them, threatening to crush them just through sheer willpower. The air seemed to thicken; they felt as if they were suffocating. Kakashi could feel the weight of Sasuke's power, his arm felt heavy as he fought against the sinister chakra.

". . .there's no way in hell you could beat me now."

_My god_... Kakashi thought. _His power has increased ten times what it was when I last saw him_. . .

"So what's next, Kakashi?" Sasuke scowled. "Your move."

* * *

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it so far! I encourage and beg you to keep reading, and if you have some time, to write a review. It really makes an author's day! If you liked the style, check out my other works too! 


	2. Teacher and Student

Right now, I'm in the process of revising chapters, so if you get to the later chapters and don't like it, I ask that you give me some time, because it's not going quite the way I envisioned it. Thanks again for reading!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

**Chapter 2- Teacher and Student**

Kakashi vanished. To anyone else, he was moving too fast to track with their eyes. But against the Sharingan, nothing goes unseen. Nothing escaped Sasuke's gaze. His left leg lashed out like a whip, catching Kakashi right in the stomach as he came in for his attack. He gasped as the air left his lungs and he was hurled back into a lamp post and fell to the ground.

The ANBU rushed forward. Sasuke disappeared. He emerged behind one of the masked ninja with his sword drawn. The man was down before he even knew Sasuke was there. The remaining ANBU reacted with a fire jutsu from every angle. Sasuke spun his blade between his fingers and snapped it back into the sheath. Then he was gone. He appeared behind another ANBU, grabbing the shinobi's hood and throwing him into the inferno. The ANBU captain drew his sword, and the others followed suit. A blade of pure chakra pierced him in the shoulder and pinned him against the wall. All eyes followed the blade from the tip to the closed fist holding it. The captain grit his teeth and bent his knees, ripping his shoulder, but freeing him from the wall, and he charged at Sasuke with his katana.

Kakashi raised his head groggily just in time to witness Sasuke move 25 feet in an instant, landing softly behind the captain with his sword drawn. The man stood shocked for a moment before the blood shot out from his wound. He stared, unbelieving, at the end of the sword that had gone through his lower back out his stomach. He crumpled to the ground as his last two comrades moved in on Sasuke.

Kakashi lifted himself off the ground and sprinted towards Sasuke, who was calmly exchanging blows with his blade against two skilled swordsmen. He expertly parried their attacks in a manner that told Kakashi he was too late. Sasuke whipped his arm in two quick slashes. The first ANBU fell to the ground with a cut from one side of his stomach to the other and then another from shoulder to hip. Another twitch of Sasuke's wrist and the last ANBU guard was down.

Kakashi moved in from the right. He kicked out with all the speed he could muster. Sasuke snatched the kick out of the air with his left hand, grabbed Kakashi's collar with his right, and threw him to the ground. The earth cracked as Sasuke's foot came down hard where Kakashi should have been. The Shunshin no Jutsu had saved him by a hair.

_Amazing..._ Kakashi thought. _He's gotten so much stronger. His chakra control is almost as good as Sakura's. But his power is far greater. He can nearly cause the same amount of damage as she does._

Sasuke blurred from his sight, flying through the air faster than Kakashi could follow.

_This speed is inhuman!_ Kakashi marveled.

Sasuke was suddenly right above him, with a roundhouse kick coming across his face. As soon as that foot hit the ground, Sasuke whirled around with a spin kick to Kakashi's chest. Kakashi was thrown across the clearing towards the trees, rolling across the ground so violently that the dust obscured their vision.

_If he can't see, the Sharingan is useless!_ Kakashi thought.

He pushed himself off the ground and gathered chakra in his hand. Raikiri screamed to life with bright sparks. Kakashi charged in towards Sasuke, hoping the dust would hide his movements enough so that Sasuke's Sharingan couldn't predict his movements until it was too late.

But Sasuke saw the light and took a fighting stance. Just before Kakashi got too close, he used the Shunshin no Jutsu to speed past Sasuke towards the trees right behind him. Kakashi pushed off a tree trunk to attack Sasuke's exposed back. The movement took less than a second; Sasuke didn't have time to even turn around.

Kakashi's hand ripped through his back out his chest. Blood splashed against the trees. Sasuke coughed, choking on his own blood. It trickled out his mouth and down his chin.

_I did it… _Kakashi though, relieved. Then a cruel chuckle escaped Sasuke's throat. A dark hue colored his hair, face and clothing, and he seemed to melt.

_Tsuchi Bunshin no Jutsu!_ Kakashi realized. He took his hand out from the mud clone and jumped behind a boulder, closely examining his surroundings to locate Sasuke.

A kunai flew overhead, moving at an angle that wasn't anywhere near Kakashi. A faster, second kunai shot out of the trees, hitting the first so that it shot down by Kakashi's foot. It was the signature kunai move that Itachi had developed, one that enabled him to hit any target no matter what cover they had. An explosive tag was attached to the kunai, and it was already three-fourths lit. Chakra rushed down to Kakashi's feet, launching him up and away from the explosion. Sasuke was waiting in the air with an ax kick. Kakashi put his hands up to block, but the force still threw him against the top of a tree. He tumbled down to the ground, and hit hard, facedown in the dirt. Sasuke landed into a crouch a few paces away.

"Stop this," Sasuke said. "There's no point in throwing away your life for the sake of your pride."

_My pride?_ Kakashi thought hazely. He didn't fight for something as foolish as that. Sasuke was a threat to Konoha, and it was Kakashi's duty to protect his village.

Sasuke took each step toward Kakashi slowly, daring him to make a move.

"You thought years ago that you could change me. That if you took me under your care you could save me from my path as an avenger. You thought you would do the noble thing by keeping me from that fate." He stopped next to Kakashi, and knelt down to grab his sensei's collar, hauling him up and throwing his back up against the tree to look him in the eye. "But who are you to decide my fate?"

"You would rather be alone with your hatred than to be loved by your team?" Kakashi mumbled?

"I decided long ago that I would be alone. Friendship is meaningless to a man bent on revenge. Compassion is a burden. You, Sakura, Naruto, all of you thought you could change me, to make me into your perfect little teammate." He narrowed his eyes into a dark scowl. "Who the hell do you think you are, to decide who I should be?! I became strong because the bonds that I had were broken for me! I'm stronger now because the bonds I made, I destroyed with my own hands! Now do you see Kakashi-sensei? You failed in your chance to "save" me from my fate. Now you fight to protect your own damn righteousness!!"

"I fight to protect the people I care about!" Kakashi's Sharingan morphed into the pinwheel shape of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

* * *

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it so far! I encourage and beg you to keep reading, and if you have some time, to write a review. It really makes an author's day! If you liked the style, check out my other works too! 


	3. Everyone Dies Alone

Right now, I'm in the process of revising chapters, so if you get to the later chapters and don't like it, I ask that you give me some time, because it's not going quite the way I envisioned it. Thanks again for reading!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

**Chapter 3- Everyone Dies Alone  
**

"What in the seven hells...?" Sasuke stared wide-eyed at Kakashi, wondering when and how he had developed the Mangekyou Sharingan. But it was different than Itachi's. Were there different varieties of the Mangekyou Sharingan?

Kakashi's pupil dilated. Sasuke released his collar and jumped back as far as he could with the short notice he had, and a black hole appeared in the air where he had stood, creating a vacuum that pulled in everything within several yards of it.

_What kind of jutsu is that?_ Sasuke stared murderously at the warp hole. _That wasn't Tsukuyomi or Amaterasu. But that eye... there's no doubt that it is some form of the Mangekyou._

"How the hell did you get that?" Sasuke asked, staring daggers at Kakashi.

"Don't let that concern you," Kakashi stood slowly. Malice hung thick in the air. The tension was rapidly building between the two shinobi, two chakras mixing and churning like savage beasts. "That information won't help you in the afterlife."

Kakashi moved a lot faster than he had before. Sasuke wasn't expecting the speed; once Kakashi's kick came, he could only lift his arms to absorb the hit. It sent him skidding across the ground. As he slid back, Sasuke whipped two kunai at Kakashi, giving himself time to recover, but Kakashi was gone. Sasuke looked around anxiously, waiting for a sign of movement. He would not be caught off-guard again. He moved behind a tree for cover when suddenly the spot he had just stood was engulfed by another black vortex. Bark was stripped off the trees around it and Sasuke's hair whipped about.

_I'm being pulled in!_ He thought in awe.

Sasuke darted backwards further into the trees.

_Perfect!_ Kakashi formed six quick seals. _Katon: Goukakyu no Justu!_

As he flew through the air, Sasuke heard snapping twigs and splintering wood. Before he knew it, a giant fireball was bearing down on him, burning down all the trees in its path.

"Damn..." he sighed before the fire swallowed him.

Kakashi landed lightly on a tree branch a ways away from the inferno. He watched the blaze closely, hoping that was the end. He could just make out some movement, then, a giant snake lifted its singed head from the flames. It let out a screech as its scales burned. The snake was coiled around Sasuke, who closed his eyes and let out an irritated breath.

"Who would have guessed that you would push me so far, Kakashi?" he clenched his fists tighter. "Fine. I'll end this now!"

He let out a huge burst of chakra, forceful enough to physically feel as a gale of wind. It ripped through the forest, tearing the leaves off the trees. By the time they fell to the ground, Kakashi had been hit out of nowhere and into another tree trunk. He started to fall forward, devoid of all strength. Metal wires slung around Kakashi, snapping him back against the trunk like he had done to Sasuke after the fight on the hospital rooftop. Sasuke walked over to him slowly.

_I'm at my limit._ Kakashi thought. _The Mangekyou Sharingan takes too much chakra. It's over..._

Kakashi struggled, but knew he didn't have the strength to free himself.

"What do you hope to accomplish here?" he asked wearily.

"I told you before," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "This is my home. I'll use it as a base to hunt down Itachi."

"You can't possibly hope to stay here for long." Kakashi said. "We'll hunt you down wherever you hide, snake."

"You're just too damn proud, Kakashi," Sasuke sighed indifferently. "Come to think of it..."

His face contorted into a twisted grin. "...It's that same pride that killed Obito."

Kakashi stopped struggling. His eyes grew wide open as his mind replayed the day his arrogance killed his best friend. How foolish he was as a child, so confident in himself that he ignored his teammates, and he had put them in danger.

"You couldn't forgive yourself if a member of your squad was lost again." Sasuke hissed. "That's why you denied any three-man squad that didn't prove themselves absolutely loyal to your standards of trust and teamwork. That's why you put us through that damned bell test."

"You betrayed that trust the day you let your jealousy of Naruto get the better of you on that hospital roof," Kakashi said.

"Jealousy?" Sasuke gave him an icy glare. "I turned away from Team 7 because I knew playing your childish games and completing D-rank missions was getting me nowhere!"

"Team 7 was the strongest genin team since the Sannin!" Kakashi growled. "No genin team had ever before done what we did. We killed an S-rank criminal in our first month together. You and Naruto saved Takigakure without even the guidance of a Jounin. Only months after you graduated from the academy exam, you all passed both Chuunin Exams into the tournament. Naruto defeated a genius from the Hyuuga clan one year ahead of him. And then you defeated the Jinchurikki of the Sand with the jutsu that I created, and that you mastered in less than a month. Didn't any of that mean anything to you?!"

There was a long pause as Sasuke considered what his sensei had said with closed eyes. When they finally opened, Kakashi saw only cold indifference.

"You know, Naruto asked me that same question three years ago in the Valley of the End." Sasuke said forbiddingly. "From the beginning, Naruto and I were different than anyone else. Do you know_why_ Team 7 was the strongest team since the Sannin?"

His eyes steeled over, and a dark scowl crossed his features.

"Naruto and I knew the pain of being alone. No matter how much you or anyone else may preach teamwork, in the end, pain is the harshest, fastest path to strength. In the end, everyone dies alone, and the ones that have already known hell know that best."

Kakashi lowered his eyes to the ground. He cursed himself for not seeing this in Sasuke nearly four years ago when they had first met. He had understood perfectly. His father, the White Fang of Konoha, was taken from Kakashi when he was just a boy. He lost his friends early on. Before Team 7 formed, he had no one left. But he didn't talk to Sasuke about it until it was too late. Sasuke had been so strong. Kakashi never expected anything but perfection from him.

"But I guess I haven't answered your question," Sasuke said offhandedly. "Yes, my experiences in Team 7 meant something to me. By making those friendships and breaking them myself, I gained an even greater power."

"Revenge will never satisfy, Sasuke." Kakashi brought his tired eyes up to meet Sasuke's cold gaze. "After all these years, I thought you'd have realized that."

"My happiness is meaningless next to the vengeance of my clan." Sasuke unsheathed his sword and raised the hilt high. For the first time since gazing down at Naruto in the Valley of the End, it was not hatred that blurred his vision. His lonely stare was the last thing that Kakashi saw before being knocked into unconsciousness.

Sasuke snapped his blade back into the sheath and walked away. He was surprised that no one else had noticed the commotion yet. There would be dozens of shinobi sent to this scene in no time. The smoke from the fire alone would merit sending out one team.

_Time to get moving, _he thought.

Sasuke disappeared in a burst of speed. He left the forest and entered Konoha's gates too quickly to be traced. But he couldn't help stopping at the bench he left Sakura on the night he left. He recalled her torturous cries as he told her that he'd be leaving. That was when the real journey to avenge his clan and kill his brother finally began.

As he walked by, Sasuke reached out with a hand and slid it along the top of the cold stone.

_I'm sorry... _he thought, closing his eyes. A timid voice met his ears, jerking him from his thoughts.

"Sasuke-kun?"

* * *

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it so far! I encourage and beg you to keep reading, and if you have some time, to write a review. It really makes an author's day! If you liked the style, check out my other works too!

* * *


	4. Isn't This What You Wanted?

Right now, I'm in the process of revising chapters, so if you get to the later chapters and don't like it, I ask that you give me some time, because it's not going quite the way I envisioned it. Thanks again for reading!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

**Chapter 4- Isn't This What You Wanted? **

Sasuke stopped cold in his tracks. He breathed deeply and let out an irritated sigh.

"Go home," he said softly. "Sakura."

A faint wind went by, rustling his hair and creating little leaf tornadoes around them. Sakura didn't speak. The wind picked up fiercely, and Sasuke felt a drop of water hit the back of his neck.

_But it's not raining..._ he thought. Then he heard her short, ragged breaths. _She's still the same Sakura I knew all those years ago._

He released a frustrated breath. Her tears flowed freely down her cheek.

"I thought you'd come here," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the cold wind. The sun had gone down, and she could feel herself shivering. "I-"

"Didn't you hear me?" Sasuke cut her off. His tone was so much colder than the icy breeze. "I told you to go home," he said dismissively.

Sakura watched him through blurry eyes as he started walking away. She couldn't bear it. She felt sick. The same thing was happening all over, and she couldn't stop it. What had she been doing these past years? Didn't she train so hard, day after day with Tsunade, for this? And now, at the moment she'd waited so long for, Sakura was no different than the first time she saw him again at Orochimaru's lair. No different than she was the night he left. The night he turned his back on all of them.

"Are you going to run away again?!" she screamed. Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks. Sakura covered her mouth immediately, surprised at how angry she sounded.

Sasuke finally turned to face her, and she instantly regretted going there at all. He looked at her with such contempt that she couldn't meet his gaze. Sakura turned her eyes to the ground. All she wanted to do was run away. She watched his feet turn and start walking.

_I can't believe how pathetic I've become,_ Sakura thought.

"Don't leave," she begged him through quivering lips.

But he didn't stop. He couldn't afford to. Sakura was the one tie to this village that he just couldn't wholly cut. He wasn't sure if he could walk away again. When he thought back on this place, and of Sakura, she almost made it worth running back to. And he couldn't take that chance. Not while Itachi still walked the earth.

Sasuke had seen her at Orochimaru's base only a short while ago, and time hadn't changed her personality. It came as a sense of both relief and regret. She still wasn't strong enough to be of any use to him. She was just another faded piece of Konoha. Once he'd obtained what he needed here, then he'd be done with the village for good. And all that went with it.

Her shoulders shook as she tried to stop her tears. "Will I ever be good enough for you... Sasuke-kun?"

The silence was devastating. She wasn't sure if she could bear his answer, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything anyway. He knew that if she didn't let up, he would have to use force against her. He couldn't risk anyone finding out where he was going.

"If you won't take me with you, then I have no choice," Sakura said, pulling her gloves over her hands. "As a shinobi of Konohagakure. . . it is my duty to protect the people of this village."

_That_ got Sasuke's attention. He stopped.

"To what ends," he asked softly. "Sakura?"

"Whatever it takes," she answered coldly.

She ran towards him, fist raised. Just before she reached him, Sasuke moved behind her, faster than she could see. He raised his hand, and she was brought back to the night he left, the night he had betrayed her.

_"You taught be before," she had cried. "You taught me that being alone is painful! I have family and friends, but if you leave, to me, it will be the same as being alone!"_

_"From this point on," he had told her, "new paths will be revealed for all of us."_

_"I love you more than anything!" She screamed. "If you are by my side, I will make sure you will not regret it. I will make every day more enjoyable, and you will be happy! I would do anything for you! That's why... I beg you! Please stay here! I will even help you with your revenge! There must be something I can do! That's why... please, stay here with me... if that is not possible... please take me with you..."_

_He had just stood there. Finally, he turned around to face her._

_"You really are," he started, "annoying."_

_It crushed her._

_"Don't go!" she yelled frantically. "If you go, I'll scream-!"_

_He vanished, appearing behind her. The wind blew. It was the coldest breeze she'd ever felt, and even colder against the tears on her cheek._

_"Sakura..." he said softly. "Thank you."_

_Then he knocked her out. She woke with a start. She was lying on the bench by the gate, with the 5th Hokage's aides standing over her. And then she had broken down in tears._

"Not again," she cried, "Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura punched the ground, releasing the stored up chakra in her hand with precise timing. The ground cracked and surged.

Sasuke wasn't expecting it, and was instantly thrown away.

_When did she get so strong?_ Sasuke thought as he flew into the trees behind the bench. He grit his teeth and smirked. _This should be interesting._

He arced backwards, reached out a hand to the ground, and came to a halt, dropping down on his feet. He launched himself at Sakura. She lashed out at him, but he was too fast. Her fist hit nothing but air as he skid behind her. She turned around and received a sharp roundhouse kick to the chin and, without putting his foot down, a second kick to the stomach. The latter sent her sprawling across the ground next to the tree line. Sasuke ran after her.

Sakura got to her feet quickly and elbowed the tree at her back. It came crashing down right on top of Sasuke.

"Shit!" he cursed through gritted teeth.

With chakra coursing through his muscles, Sasuke twisted suddenly, narrowly avoiding it. Sakura picked up the trunk and swung it across her body. Sasuke couldn't avoid it. It smashed into him, lifting his feet off the ground and tearing the air from his lungs. He landed on his back and rolled onto his shoulders as he tumbled across the ground, finally coming to a stop after crashing through a wall. Part of the ceiling collapsed on top of him.

_Damn it..._ he thought. _I wasted too much chakra against Kakashi. I should have finished him quickly, but I wanted to show him how large the gap was between our strength._

Despite his predicament, a slow smile spread across his face, and he let out a short chuckle.

_Guess he's not the only one who's just too damn proud._

Sakura approached the house slowly.

_Has he realized it yet?_ She thought hopefully. _Has he realized that I'm different? That I could help him?_

She heard a low laugh from the wreckage. A few boards shifted, and Sasuke walked out through the broken wall, supporting himself on one jagged side of the gaping hole. Blood spilled down his cheek from a gash in his head.

"If only you'd had this same strength and spirit before," he said, shaking his head, "maybe I wouldn't have left."

He was surprised at how close he was to actually meaning it.

_I'll have to end this quickly,_ he thought, running through his options.

"What does that mean now?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke stared at her, confused.

"Now that you know who I am," she said, her eyes searching his for understanding. "Will you still leave me behind?"

Sasuke stepped out of the rubble and sighed.

"You really are... annoying."

_What?_ Sakura couldn't absorb what he had said. She staggered backwards._What do I have to do…_

"What do I have to do," she screamed, "before you'll acknowledge me, Sasuke-kun?!"

She ran at him, raising her fist, gathering all the chakra she could muster. She could barely see through her teary, emerald eyes. But what she could see was his face; that bastard was smiling!

_Her spirit's been broken,_ he thought. _Even in this state, I can end it now._

Sakura was just feet away. He didn't move an inch. He didn't even look worried. This was just a game to him, and she had lost. Her arm dropped and her steps slowed, until finally she threw herself against him, burying her face in his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck for support; her shaking legs unwilling to support her any longer. Sakura's shoulders racked with her sobs.

_Don't look up,_ she told herself. _You'll just see that damned smile._

But she couldn't help herself. It wasn't a twisted smile that she saw. When she looked up, she met his eyes. The Sharingan, a symbol of fear and death for all who opposed the wielder, were soft and caring for her. The three tomoe were spinning. Then they stopped.

_What was that-_ she started to think, but all thought ended when his lips brushed against hers. Her eyes closed slowly, and she breathed in the moment.

Sakura gasped. She tore herself away from his kiss, and opened her eyes to stare into his scarlet orbs.

"Sasuke-kun...?" she couldn't form words.

"Don't talk," he told her before leaning down to kiss her again.

_Is this real?_ She thought. _Did he knock me out when I fell into his arms? Am I dreaming? No… This is actually happening!_

She returned his kiss with vigor as she became convinced that it was truly happening.

Feeling her response, Sasuke hugged her tighter, letting one arm wrap around her lower back to keep her close, and letting his other hand slide through her silky, pink locks. Sakura moved her hands from his collar, cupping his face with one and moving the other over his shoulder to hold herself tightly against his chest. She moved the hand holding his face around his neck to pull on the hair at the base of his neck. He let out a hiss in between kisses.

"Damn it, Sakura," he breathed.

He tilted her head back to kiss along her jaw line and down her neck. She dug her fingernails into his back. Sasuke swung her around and pushed her against the wall. She gasped in surprise. He took the opportunity to probe her mouth with his tongue, which she returned passionately. Her ragged breaths were muffled by his kiss. She took her hands from his neck back to his collar, and slid his shirt over his shoulders. His body was hardened by years of harsh training; she ran her hands across his muscular torso, raking her nails down his chest.

_This is exactly how I imagined it'd be,_ Sakura thought, taking in a deep breath as she arced her back and neck around Sasuke's arm, which still tightly clutched her lower back, anchoring her waist to his. He ran a hand across her forehead to brush her bangs out of her eyes. His hand traveled from her cheek down her face, to caress her elegant neck. His lips followed closely behind.

_It's perfect._

A horrible thought crossed her mind. It _was_ perfect. Exactly how she'd always imagined he would act. Exactly what she had hoped for once he realized that she wasn't a little girl anymore.

And the way his Sharingan had looked before he'd advanced on her...

"Sasuke, wait," she said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked softly, ending his attack on her sensitive throat.

"Is this real?" she asked tentatively.

"What are you talking about?" he asked curiously. "I thought this was what you wanted."

"That's why," she raised her hands together in a ram seal. "I'm suspicious."

She stopped the flow of chakra to her mind. If any genjutsu had been used on her, it would be gone.

"Kai!" she said softly.

Sakura awoke with a start; on the same bench Sasuke had left her nearly three years ago. Tears fell down her cheek and she hugged her knees to her chest.

_Damn it!_ She cursed herself for being so blind.

* * *

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it so far! I encourage and beg you to keep reading, and if you have some time, to write a review. It really makes an author's day! If you liked the style, check out my other works too! 


	5. The Rose and the Thorn

Right now, I'm in the process of revising chapters, so if you get to the later chapters and don't like it, I ask that you give me some time, because it's not going quite the way I envisioned it. Thanks again for reading!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

**Chapter 5- The Rose in His Hand, and the Thorn in His Side **

Sasuke took her slender wrists in his hands and pulled her arms off his neck. He scooped up Sakura's legs and started walking back to the street. His steps dragged across the ground with fatigue.

_I wasted way too much chakra dealing with these pests,_ Sasuke thought. He didn't dare use the body flicker jutsu. If he ran into anyone else, he wanted all the chakra he had left.

_Sakura's good with genjutsu,_ Sasuke reasoned. _If I leave her here she might release it and follow me. Not that I expect her to release it very soon._

The genjutsu he had used feeds off the imagination of the one trapped in it. He had started the illusion with a kiss, but her mind would alter the scene to fit her desires.

_I suppose that was a little cruel, even for me,_ he thought. Then he shook his head._ That doesn't matter. That's the kind of attitude that makes Konoha so weak._

Sasuke didn't know exactly where he was headed. His legs kept moving but he had no goal. Finally he came back to the bench where she had found him.

_Here's fine,_ he thought wearily.

Sasuke lowered Sakura gently to the cold stone. He stared blankly at Sakura, her tortured cries echoed painfully in his head.

_You're still the same girl that you were when I left._ He sighed.

But she wasn't. She'd grown so much stronger in the short years he'd been gone.

_And so much prettier,_ a part of him said.

Sasuke shook his head again.

_I have no use for someone as weak as her,_ he scowled. _She may be stronger than she was before, but not strong enough._

Almost like she could read his mind, a tear rolled down Sakura's pale cheek. Sasuke reached out a hand to cup her face, and wiped the tear away with his thumb. His hand slid up her cheek and brushed her salmon bangs out of her eyes. His mouth was dry, and his heart was in his throat. Sasuke slowly closed the distance between them, staring intently at her closed eyes.

_What am I doing?_ he thought hazily. _Turn around! Turn around and walk away!_

His lips were only inches away from hers. He ran his fingers through her soft, pink hair. It smelled like strawberries. He inhaled the sweet scent as he prepared to brush his lips across her. He wondered what they tasted like.

Sasuke jerked back suddenly with a sharp intake of air. He panted slightly, realizing he'd been holding his breath. Sakura tensed. Her eyes closed tighter and she clenched her teeth.

_She's broken the genjutsu already!_ Sasuke jumped back as fast as he could onto the roof of the house behind him. He crouched on the peak as he watched her sit up with a jolt. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face.

The momentary loss of control had passed. Sasuke stared coldly at the pathetic kunoichi below. He stood slowly and turned. Then he was gone, speeding back to the Uchiha sector. He flew through the trees in a foul mood. What was wrong with him? He'd completely lost it. Sakura couldn't help him gain power, why would it matter what she looked like? Or how soft her hair was, or what her lips tasted like…

_Stop it!_ Sasuke scolded himself.

Finally he stopped at the main building of the Nakano Temple. In the right corner to the rear of the room, under the seventh tatami mat, lies the clan's Commencement Scroll. Next to that was a stairway that led to a tunnel. The tunnel led to a storehouse. He would use it as a base re-equip himself and get what he needed to track down and kill Itachi.

"Welcome home, Sasuke," a voice said.

"Show yourself," Sasuke said menacingly. He turned to face the shadows in the direction the voice had come from. The intruder stepped out.

"You aren't happy to see me?" the girl pouted.

"Not in the slightest," he replied flatly.

She stuck out her lower lip and gazed up at him with sparkling eyes, pretending she was going to cry.

"What are you doing here, Rykie?" he asked, annoyed at the display.

"I missed you!" she replied cheerfully.

Rykie Arisawa was close to a year younger than Sasuke, but already a Jounin-level ninja. He had met her in a backwater town in the middle of the Land of Udon, full of murderers and thieves. When Sasuke and Orochimaru had gone there on some business, she had been 13 years old. They walked out of their contact's building to see Rykie beating the piss out of a local thug. Her father and mother had been in crime since before she was born, and they were killed when she was six years old. She sharpened her skills by challenging the same kind of people that killed them, in a silent promise to her dead parents that she would become stronger. And Orochimaru had taken her with them, promising to help her become even more powerful.

On the trip back, Rykie had grown quite fond of Sasuke. She had been extremely flirtatious the whole trip back to the hideout, no matter how clear Sasuke had been that he wasn't interested. He had to admit she wasn't completely unattractive. She was actually very pretty. Her shoulder-length, chestnut hair was straight and perfect. She was only a few inches shorter than Sasuke. But she was so cheery and bouncy that it made Sasuke want to wring her slender neck every time he spoke to her.

"How did you find this place?" He glared suspiciously at the thin brunette before him.

"Orochimaru kept records on all kinds of things," she explained smiling, "even you."

_That bastard..._ Sasuke scowled.

"I did a lot of reading after you left," she continued. "For example, I know you don't like sweets much, and-"

"Enough," he cut her off. "Why did you come here?"

"Well, I figured you would come here, since this is where Itachi told you to come for information about the Sharingan, and since you're going after Itachi, I figured-"

Sasuke suddenly lashed out, grabbing Rykie by the throat and lifting her up off the ground to the wall. Her hands flew to his in a desperate attempt to free herself from his iron grip.

"Sasu...ke..." she gasped.

"Don't speak that name so freely," he threatened. "You know nothing of Itachi Uchiha."

Rykie closed her eyes and furiously nodded her head, unable to draw breath. Sasuke released her and she dropped to the floor, massaging her neck.

"Konoha will have dozens of shinobi searching the city tonight. You'll be leaving in the morning. If you're going to stay here, you're going to abide by my rules," Sasuke said, walking to the back of the storehouse towards a small hallway.

"Of course!" Rykie beamed, like she hadn't just been gasping for air by his own hands. She sprang up off the ground and wrapped her arms around his back. "Thank you so much, Sasuke!"

Sasuke peeled her hands off his chest and placed them at her sides. Then he continued walking. Rykie picked up her pace to walk beside him.

"So where are we sleeping?" she asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"_I'm_ sleeping in this room," Sasuke said, pointing to a curtain that covered his doorway. "_You're_ sleeping in that room," he pointed to the curtain across the hall.

"Aw..." she pouted.

"Is there a problem?" Sasuke asked, his voice layered with menace.

"N-no... of course not!" she replied quickly.

Sasuke moved the curtain aside with a hand.

"Goodnight Sasuke!" she called cheerfully.

He stepped inside with no reply.

_He'll loosen up,_ she thought. _I'll just have to remind him of our first encounter._

She smiled mischievously as she walked into her room.

* * *

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it so far! I encourage and beg you to keep reading, and if you have some time, to write a review. It really makes an author's day! If you liked the style, check out my other works too! 


	6. Whispers in the Night

Right now, I'm in the process of revising chapters, so if you get to the later chapters and don't like it, I ask that you give me some time, because it's not going quite the way I envisioned it. Thanks again for reading!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

**Chapter 6- Whispers in the Night  
**

After she had released the genjutsu, Sakura wanted to do nothing but cry.

_I can't believe how foolish I was… _Sakura's shoulders shook as she let the tears run down her face. She angrily wiped them away with one gloved hand. _He got away… I had the chance to stop him, and I failed again… just like before…_

But she couldn't just sit there and cry. Not again. She had watched them all go after Sasuke; Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, Neji, Choji... they had all risked their lives to save him, while she had stayed back and cried.

_Not this time!_ Sakura thought fervently. She raised her head up just in time to see Sasuke on the roof across the street right before he used the shunshin no jutsu.

"Sasuke-kun!" She yelled after him, even though he couldn't hear. She jumped up off the bench, ran across the street, and jumped up to the roof, prepared to chase him through the trees, but she was interrupted when someone called out her name faintly.

"Sakura-san…"

She turned to see an ANBU black op clutching an enormous gash in one hand and stumbling through the gates. With his other hand, he steadied himself against the wall. Sakura jumped down from the gate and rushed to his side, pulling his arm over her shoulder to support him.

"What happened?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

"Sasuke… Uchiha," he answered, confirming her suspicions.

"How many are injured?" she asked quickly, burying her feelings and letting her training take over.

"Four more from my squad," he said hoarsely. "Also, Kakashi Hatake is unaccounted for."

_Kakashi-sensei too?_ Sakura gasped. _Sasuke-kun… what have you done?_

She lowered the man to the ground and started applying medical ninjutsu to his wounds, concentrating first on the largest cut.

"You'll be a lot faster than I am. As soon as you feel you're ready, please go to Hokage-sama and tell her everything you know. Have her send a team of medics," She instructed rapidly.

"It's not bad," he said quickly. "I'm ready to go now. My squad needs help."

"Are you sure?" She asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine," he said, coming to a shaky stand. His hands formed a seal and he blurred from her vision.

_I've got to find Kakashi-sensei!_ Sakura thought desperately.

She ran out of the gates and into the trees. The acrid smell of scorched earth was faintly carried by the breeze. Sakura followed it to a huge section of destroyed forest. There, against a tree, she could just barely make out-

"Kakashi-sensei!" She cried out, running to his side. Metal wires bound him to the trunk of an oak. He wasn't conscious. A quick study showed two broken ribs, several lacerations and too many bruises to count.

Sakura felt her eyes moisten. _How could you do this Sasuke-kun? Kakashi watched over us since the day we met. He saved our lives countless times!_

She brushed her tears out of her eyes. _Is revenge really all you care about? Will you sacrifice anyone in your way to achieve it?_

Medical ninja and ANBU reinforcements arrived, and Sakura looked out in the direction she saw Sasuke go.

_Sasuke-kun… What are you planning on doing? What are you doing now?_

* * *

Sasuke stared at the ceiling, frustrated. He was exhausted, but sleep eluded him. Finally, he was on the path to avenging his clan. Killing Orochimaru was only the first step. But this business with Sakura, and now Rykie…

_What is wrong with me? _He let out an exasperated breath. _How did I lose control of myself so easily? Sakura would only slow me down. There was no other choice._

He could tell he wasn't convincing anyone, least of all himself. He breathed another heavy sigh and ran a hand through his raven bangs.

_What is wrong with me?_ He asked for the hundredth time that night.

His room was pitch black. The storehouse was built into the mountains; no stray light found its way into the lair. But it still wasn't dark enough. He wanted to lose himself, but when he closed his eyes to sleep, he only saw her shaking frame. He could have sworn he heard her crying. Every drop of moisture that hit the stone floor in his room could have been a tear dropping from her pale cheek.

_There was nothing else I could have done, _he thought desperately. The hand in his hair was removed and curled into a fist. He pressed it against his forehead for a moment, and then let his arm drop to his chest.

His eyes opened sharply.

"What are you doing Rykie?" He asked aloud.

She hadn't made a sound coming in, and there was no way he could have seen her.

"How did you know I was here?" She asked. "I didn't make a sound!"

"Your smell," he stated. "Should a ninja on the prowl be wearing perfume?"

"Hmph, I only put on a little," she pouted. "Just because I'm a ninja doesn't mean I have to smell like one. Do you like it? It's-"

"Irrelevant," Sasuke said harshly. "Answer my question."

"I'm here to see you, of course!" She said as though it were obvious.

"I told you that I would be sleeping."

"I know, but I could hear you moving around from all the way across the hall, so I came to-"

"Just get out…" Sasuke said wearily. He didn't have the energy for this. He would have to do something about her tomorrow, because he knew she wouldn't leave without a fuss. "Unlike you, I couldn't just stroll in through the front gates. I had to fight an ANBU squad and one of Konoha's toughest Jounin on my way here. I'm sore as hell."

_Not to mention Sakura. I'd rather fight 3 more ANBU squads than see her again..._

"Aww, poor Sasuke-kun…" He heard Rykie say softly as she walked over to the side of the bed and sat down, ignoring his command. Her voice had suddenly lost its girlish charm, becoming sweet and tempting. "Do you remember… the first day we spent together at Orochimaru's lair?"

He heard her ask a question, but he didn't quite register it. The tone in which she asked reminded him of Sakura's childish voice at the end of every mission years ago, asking if he wanted to go train with her or some other desperate attempt at spending time together.

"What of it?" he asked finally, trying to pay attention to whatever Rykie was saying. _Stop thinking about Sakura! She's not here now, and after tomorrow I won't be here either._

"We got back to the Sound Village and he told me to spar with you, to see how strong I was," she continued. "I thought I was pretty good, but you were on a totally different level. When I realized I was beat, I was sad because I felt like I let my parents down. Orochimaru said he could help me get stronger really fast with a cursed seal, but I wanted to become stronger my own way. When he got angry and threatened to force it on me, you stepped in and convinced him to let me choose. That night, when he sent those men after me, you protected me, and let me stay with you..."

_I didn't think it'd start so soon,_ Sasuke sighed. _But I should have seen this coming the moment I saw her again._

"I protected you from Orochimaru because I know what it's like having someone else decide your path." He said before she could continue the story.

"But what happened that night-" she started.

"_Nothing_ happened that night." He said coldly, turning on his side away from her. "Orochimaru didn't dare try to hurt you around me."

He hoped she would drop it then, after hearing the tone of his voice.

_Like Sakura did? _He asked himself, irritably. _She's never stopped trying, no matter how I turned her down. Damn girl._

Rykie suddenly pulled his shoulder down and straddled his stomach to prevent him from rolling over again.

"Do I need to remind you?" she asked alluringly, tracing a fingernail across his bare chest.

"Get off, Rykie," he said flatly.

"Come on, Sasuke," she said playfully. "You weren't so heartless that first night."

She leaned forward slowly, her palms slid from his ridged stomach up his chest. Her arms wrapped delicately around his powerful neck. Sasuke could feel her smooth skin against his. He was losing control again. His volition was crumbling rapidly.

"Get out," Sasuke commanded, hoping there was still some gravity left in his voice.

She brushed her lips across his, slowly, enticingly. He fought against the urge to give in, but soon he found himself returning her kiss, just as he had those years ago.

_I knew he'd warm up to me, _Rykie thought victoriously. She pressed harder against his lips, waiting for him to respond in turn.

Sasuke felt her move in closer, and he caught a strong scent of her perfume.

_Strawberries,_ he mused. Then he froze. _Just like Sakura…_

"Sasuke?" Rykie asked quietly. She was surprised when, instead of intensifying as she had thought, his kiss had stopped altogether.

He suddenly rolled so that she was on her back and slid his legs over the side of the bed, striding purposefully out of the room.

_What was that about?_ She thought curiously, sitting up on her elbows. She slid off the bed, staring out the door in the direction he'd left. She smiled knowingly, thinking about how easy it was change his mind with the right persuasion. _I'd better find him before he can compose himself…_

* * *

The wind was cold. He could feel the tips of his obsidian hair freezing into jagged points, and his breath vaporized the air in small clouds. But he was still sweating.

How could he let himself be overcome so easily by these feelings? He thanked Sakura silently for the scent that woke him from that clouded state. Then he shook his head.

_No, damn it, she's the one that started this in the first place! _He cursed inwardly. _If I hadn't already been thinking about her, then I would've been on my guard when Rykie came in!_

Sasuke clenched his teeth and spun around, smashing his fist into the solid wall, hard enough to hear the wood splinter. After a few panting breaths, he closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down.

_Why did you have to be there, Sakura? _He thought angrily. _Why can't you all just leave me to my own path?!_

A warm current trickled down his fingers as he lowered his hand, and he realized it was his blood. He leaned forward until his forehead rested against the cold wall and closed his eyes.

_My own path… that's a joke, _he thought bitterly. _It's exactly what _he _wanted. But it's almost over. I'll kill him soon enough._

Although he had given Kakashi a casual remark about Konoha being "his home" as a reason for being here, his true objective was slightly more complicated. There was something in the storehouse that would help him track down Itachi, as well as a few things that would help him prepare for the encounter.

_It ends here, _he decided. _Tomorrow I'll get what I need, and leave Sakura and everyone else behind. No one will get in my way._

He heard the door slide open as Rykie stepped out.

"Sasuke?" She asked curiously. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing."

When he didn't answer, she walked up closer and noticed the red liquid on the ground.

"What happened?" She gasped. "Why are you bleeding?"

"It's nothing," he finally said. "Go back inside."

Instead, he heard her footsteps approach even closer, until she was right behind him. He tensed as her warm hands appeared on his stomach, and she pressed her cheek against his exposed back.

_There's that damn smell again, _he thought. The truth was, he liked the smell of her perfume, but he knew why he liked it, and that worried him.

"Don't treat me like a kid," she said after a few moments.

"You are a kid," he said, growing impatient.

"I haven't had the luxury of being a child since my parents were murdered," she said angrily. He felt her arms around him tighten. "I thought you of all people would understand that."

"Of course I do," He said irritably. "Why do you think I'm here right now? It's not like I came back because I was homesick! I'm here to get what I need to kill Itachi, and I don't need anyone to get in my way!"

"Then why did you save me in Orochimaru's lair? Why did you stay with me and pretend you actually cared about me?!" She yelled.

"I already told you why I helped you," He said as he pushed her away and slid the door open. "I let you stay with me because I felt sorry for you. You reminded me of my younger self. You still do."

"So why did you pretend to care about me?!" She asked, running after him.

"As much as you keep pressing this, trying to get me to remember what happened, why don't _you _take a moment to think about what happened that night?!"

She stopped cold, and Sasuke instantly regretted what he said. It was one thing to chastise the girl for her obnoxious behavior, but what he had said was just loathsome considering the hell that night had been for her.

"Rykie… I'm sor-" he started to say, but she rushed past him in tears.

_Damn it, _he sighed. _I won't be getting much sleep tonight, will I?_

* * *

Sakura was beginning to think the same thing. The hospital was hectic that night as she and the other medics ran frantically through the halls, trying to stabilize all the injured patients. She called out orders to passing nurses.

"I need three medics in ICU six! Severe burns on 43 percent of the patient's body!"

"ICU four needs a hand! The patient's cuts have reopened!"

Sakura moved from intensive care unit to intensive care unit, repairing cuts, applying medicine, and healing burns. She finally couldn't stop herself from running into Kakashi's room, where her teacher was still unconscious. Tsunade was healing his broken ribs.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura called, tears welling in her eyes. "What's wrong with him? Can't I do anything to help?!"

"Sakura, I have his physical conditions under control," she said chastely. "But he used the Mangekyou Sharingan and I don't know the full effects of its use on him."

Sakura closed her eyes and put her hands on either side of Kakashi's face. She willed her power into him, finding severe exhaustion and chakra depletion. She did what she could, pouring in chakra to revive him.

_Kakashi-sensei… I've never seen you like this, _she thought helplessly. _What did he do to you?_

Kakashi's right eye opened; his Sharingan covered by his headband again.

"Sakura?" He asked hazily.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura replied, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Don't cry, Sakura," he said wearily. "I'm not dead yet."

"I'm happy you're alright," Sakura wiped away her tears with a hand quickly.

"Your injuries are all healed," Tsunade reported. "Just what the hell happened out there?"

Kakashi quickly glanced at Sakura and back to Tsunade. He realized that Tsunade already knew the situation, but if Sakura didn't… he didn't want to talk about their teammate turned traitor in front of the Hokage.

"Overtaken by enemy force," he replied stoically.

"Obviously!" Tsunade snapped. "I could tell that much if I was blind! How did one punk renegade defeat an ANBU squad and- _supposedly_- one of our best Jounin?!"

Kakashi sighed heavily, wishing he were still unconscious. But what she said had some truth in it. It was sobering to realize to what extent he'd been outclassed. Praised as a genius even before he received the Sharingan from Obito, he was no match for a pureblooded Uchiha.

"He didn't just defeat the ANBU," he said somberly. "He obliterated them. One after the other."

Sakura clutched the rail by Kakashi's bed to steady herself as his words sunk in. She couldn't imagine the 12-year old boy who she had spent so much time with actually besting an ANBU squad alone, so heartlessly. But then she thought about the nearly 16-year old shinobi who she had confronted only hours before, who possessed so much power and hatred.

"I need a better description than that!" Tsunade rapped out. "Just what are we dealing with, Kakashi? What has Orochimaru-"

"Tsunade-sama!" Kakashi interrupted, giving a pointed look to Sakura.

Tsunade looked over at the girl she had forgot was even in the room. She saw Sakura's clenched hand over the rail, and saw her eyes were cloudy, like she was lost in another world. Tsunade took a deep breath, and took pity on her apprentice. The girl would be going through a lot of pain once she knew that Sasuke was back.

"Get some rest, Kakashi," she finally said, as she turned from the bedside and left the room. "You too, Sakura. The second-shift medics will be here soon. You need sleep."

She walked out of the room. Sakura hadn't realized that her biggest fear was being alone with Kakashi right now. She knew he would condemn Sasuke as soon as it was just the two of them. She realized why he had looked to her before speaking to Tsunade, and why he interrupted her moments ago.

"Sakura," Kakashi said softly. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this."

"Kakashi-sensei, you shouldn't talk," Sakura said quickly, hoping to delay the conversation. "Tsunade-sama said you need rest."

"You need to know what's going on around here," he answered, ignoring her request. He took a heavy breath before speaking again. "He's back, Sakura."

"Who's that?" She asked innocently. "Someone you've fought before? Was it that Kabuto guy? I heard Tsunade mention Orochima-"

"Don't bullshit me," Kakashi narrowed his eye. "I know you better than that."

Sakura looked away from his stare. Of course he did.

"You already know, don't you?" Kakashi prodded. "You saw him… didn't you?"

"…Yes," she admitted, her eyes dampening again.

"What happened?" Kakashi sat up with concern. When she didn't reply, he pushed further. "Did he hurt you?"

"No!" Sakura said quickly. _Not physically, anyway._

"Don't defend him, Sakura." Kakashi warned.

"I'm not!" She replied. "I followed him, we talked, and then he ran away."

"Where did you follow him to?" Kakashi asked.

"Somewhere in the forest," she answered. It wasn't a complete lie. They did fight by the woods by the gates of Konoha. She knew what direction he was heading, but she couldn't give it up.

"Sakura," Kakashi pleaded. "Why do you continue to protect him? He almost killed me!"

"But he didn't!" She cried out. "When he had the chance, he didn't kill anyone!"

"They would have died without help," he said grimly. She knew he was right.

"Well, that must be why he left me there," she tried to explain his actions. "He knew I would get help."

"Left you where?" Kakashi stared at her intently. "You said he just ran off."

"He used a genjutsu," she said, turning away. "I released it and found myself by the main gates."

_But Sakura's excellent with genjutsu._ Kakashi thought worriedly. _What kind of illusion was it? The Sharingan is capable of high-level genjutsu, but most of it shouldn't be above Sakura's level to break. The way she's talking makes it seem like it wasn't an attack… just a stalling measure. Something that would have taken her longer to break…_

"What did he do to you, Sakura?" Kakashi asked softly.

She had to blink back tears. Everything that he'd said and done after she looked into those spinning blood-red eyes hadn't happened. It had all been a lie. He had completely ignored her.

"… nothing," she cried.

_So that's why she's so upset,_ Kakashi thought sadly. _He probably treated her like the little girl he used to know, instead of the strong woman she'd hoped he would see._

Kakashi put his hand on her shoulder and gave her the reassuring smile he'd always given her when she was worried. It was hidden by his mask, but she could feel its warmth. Kakashi had always thought of her like a daughter; it hurt him to see her so upset.

"It's okay," he told her gently. "You don't have to tell me now. Where did he go?"

"He's somewhere in the southeast of the village," she said softly. She was instantly ashamed at herself for giving him up. _I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun._

She realized what would happen when they found him. She couldn't honestly say she wanted Sasuke to be caught, but the thought of him hurting anyone else sickened her.

"There's only one place he'd be headed over there." Kakashi reasoned. "The Uchiha sector. But why would he go to such an obvious place?"

"Kakashi-sensei, what will you do to him?" Sakura asked fearfully.

"He's an enemy of Konoha now," Kakashi said softly. "We'll treat him like one."

"But Kakashi-" she tried.

"Forget about him." Kakashi grimaced. "He'll never care about anything that doesn't help him achieve his goals."

Sakura wanted to listen to him. Kakashi had been like a second father to her since the day Team 7 was formed. But taking his advice meant giving up all hope of being with Sasuke.

"If I could just show him what I can do…" she whispered hopefully.

"He's attracted to power, Sakura," Kakashi told her. "Nothing more."

* * *

Phew, thanks for being so patient with me! This ended up being a really long chapter compared to the first 5, by around 2500+ words. But I think I'm happy with it overall, and I enjoyed establishing the different viewpoints. This is, after all, a SasuSaku, so what would it be if the whole thing was from Sasuke's perspective? Sakura needs to be developing as well, since she really doesn't know this 'new' Sasuke at all.

Basic things to clear up in this chapter: Sasuke and Rykie never did anything _that _bad. Every time I read through this and reread things like "What happened that night..." I realized that it could easily be misleading, but I can't phrase it any differently, and "that night" will be revisited in detail next chapter. But I won't tell you how!

This chapter took me so much longer than the others because this is where I needed the story to change from where it was going before. I ended up with a lot of new dialogue instead of editing the old, and the scene with Sasuke outside was completely different. Rykie is supposed to be sort of like another Sakura, only more confident and assertive, but she isn't supposed to be a sexual predator, which I think she may have come off as before, lol.

This is my last week of school, and as such, I hope to have a lot more time to devote to this that I have the past several (okay, 9) months. But still, these next chapters are going to be fundamentally different than before, so they will take a lot of time and effort. I hope that everyone has been rereading the chapters that have titles now, as they are the edited chapters, and you'll be very lost if you start with chapter 10 without reading the new material.

Thanks again for your time and support! I wish I could erase the old chapter 6 with its reviews and replace it with this one so I could get some perspective on how people feel about this change so far. If there's actually a way to do that, I'd be pleased as punch to know what it is! If you like where it's going or hate it, please PM me and let me know what you think. I know I can't please everyone, but it would help a lot if I knew what everyone felt while reading!

Thank you all, I hope to update soon!


	7. Curses in the Dark

Right now, I'm in the process of revising chapters, so if you get to the later chapters and don't like it, I ask that you give me some time, because it's not going quite the way I envisioned it. Remember, the chapters that I have rewritten are the ones with titles! At the time of writing this, chapters 8 and 9 still aren't rewritten, so they are only "Chapter 8" or "Chapter 9," instead of "5. The Rose and the Thorn" etc. Thanks again for reading!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

**Chapter 7- Curses in the Dark  
**

"_How dare you defy me, girl?!" Orochimaru cursed. "After saving you from that rat trap of a town and promising to grant you the power you crave, you have the nerve to refuse me?"_

"_I don't want to be like those freaks you showed me earlier!" Rykie said defiantly, "I'll gain power through hard work and strengths I inherited from my parents!"_

"_Your parents were __trash__, brat, and you'll be the same without my help!"_

_Infuriated by Orochimaru's taunt, Rykie leapt at him. Sasuke knew it wouldn't end well from that moment. Orochimaru moved too fast for her to see, and she flew against the wall. She stood up and glared at him, ready for another assault, when Orochimaru's eyes darkened with murderous intent. _

_Instantly, she was frozen in her tracks, and fell to her knees in shock, presented with a hellish genjutsu of her death, just as Orochimaru had used on Sasuke and Sakura in the Forest of Death._

_He slowly moved forward, advancing on the poor girl who could scarcely breath, let alone defend herself. Sasuke felt pity for her, thinking of his own path to power. He had wanted the powers of the cursed seal to advance his training, but this girl didn't. Just as Sasuke had chosen the power of the cursed seal instead of the power of the Mangekyou as Itachi had wanted, Rykie wanted the freedom to choose._

"_Very well, wretch. You will not receive the cursed seal." Orochimaru opened his mouth wide and a snake slithered out his throat, bearing the Kusanagi blade in its own. Orochimaru took the blade and held it high over his head. "Instead… you will die, here and now!! Say 'hello' to mommy and daddy for me!"_

_Her frightened eyes watched in horror as he brought the blade down swiftly and she could do nothing to defend herself. She cried out soundlessly in a desperate plea for mercy, but Orochimaru would give her none. The sword arced toward her exposed neck, and screeched loudly against the cracked floor after the pass had been made._

"_Sasuke-kun!" Kabuto cursed across the room, where Sasuke had carried the young kunoichi after his Shunshin no jutsu. "How dare you show such disrespect to Lord Orochimaru?!"_

"_Don't forget your place, boy," Orochimaru hissed. It was one of the few times Orochimaru had addressed him so casually. Sasuke knew he was furious._

"_Orochimaru," he started, refusing to address him as 'Lord Orochimaru' like some miserable servant, groveling for mercy. "Why should this girl be forced to bear the seal?" _

_Orochimaru listened intently as Sasuke thought how to word this best to appease the serpent._

"_You have no use for her." He continued casually. "There are plenty of stronger bodies for you, even if something were to happen to me. She's powerful enough as it is to best most of your unmarked Jounin; there's no need to risk her death from the curse the way she is now."_

_Orochimaru considered his words carefully. Then he chuckled softly._

"_You'll never be strong enough to kill Itachi if you can't kill your own emotions."_

_It was a trademark comment of Orochimaru's, being said more and more frequently, every time Sasuke showed mercy on any helpless soul Orochimaru was bent on him destroying. Sasuke grew tired of these useless remarks, but he would put up with them… at least until the day he had decided to end the snake's pathetic existence._

_Orochimaru turned, still snickering to himself, and walked away with Kabuto, leaving Sasuke alone with the tearful girl. He reached to her forehead to halt the chakra coursing through her mind, ending the horrid genjutsu. Rykie gasped as she was suddenly brought back to her senses, and then buried her face in his chest, crying.  
_

* * *

_Later that evening, Sasuke lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling, as he typically did when he was troubled. He was miserable tonight; sickened by the lengths that Orochimaru would go to just to justify his existence. Sasuke hated him. He hated being around him. And most of all, he hated being dependent on his teaching._

_Recently, he had begun catching himself thinking of the nights he spent under the stars on missions. Kakashi would be reading his book on a tree branch, Naruto would be sound asleep, and Sakura would be trying to stealthily glance over at Sasuke as he tried to relax after the hard day's work. _

_He always smiled at that last thought. She was so hopeless._

_But tonight, he couldn't smile for some reason. Sakura's pathetic attempts to spend time with him were sorely missed. He didn't miss the girl herself, but at least she added some childish glow to a room. Orochimaru's lair was dark and boring._

"_Get away from me!" he heard a girl's voice suddenly cried out. "Someone, please, help!"_

_She was met only with laughter. "Who the hell'll help you down here?" one man cackled. "Everyone here is loyal to Lord Orochimaru!"_

_Sasuke sat up and looked to his open door as Rykie ran past, followed by four of Orochimaru's Jounin. Sasuke grabbed his sword and rushed out into the hall, just in time to see a man drop from the ceiling in front of her and strike her across her face, throwing her against the wall. She slid to the floor, coughing, and the original four grabbed her arms and legs as the newcomer reached out with a hand to cup her face._

"_It's a shame…" the bastard smiled cruelly as he stroked her cheek. "Once Lord Orochimaru infects you with that curse seal, you won't look nearly as pretty as you do now."_

_The other four laughed in chorus as their leader grabbed Rykie's shirt with both hands, preparing to tear it in two._

"_What do you guys think? Should we play around a little before she looks like the rest of those freaks?"_

_Again they howled with laughter._

"_Enough," Sasuke said in a dark voice, layering his voice with all the hatred he could muster. He forcibly expelled a vast amount of chakra, adding power to his words. The candles in the tunnel went out, and he heard their frightened murmurs. All of them had heard stories about the kinds of creatures Orochimaru kept in his lair, and were not eager to find out if this was one of them._

_Suddenly one of them screamed out, having caught sight of the source of the fear that strangled them. The demon had ebony spikes running over its skull and blazing red eyes, like hellfire. _

"_What the hell is that thing?!" he cried as he pointed Sasuke out to the others._

_They immediately dropped Rykie and started throwing shuriken and kunai as fast as they could, so terrified that half of the weapons didn't even come close to their target. Others were easily parried by Sasuke's katana. When the Jounin were out of weapons, he snapped the blade back into its sheath and sprinted towards them._

"_Get back you bastard!" The leader called out, "Everyone, use explosiv- AGGH!"_

_His body dropped instantly onto the dusty tile several feet back, and blood poured from a gaping wound in his head. Sasuke stood in his place, directly in the middle of the pack, and they could all see the blood dripping from his elbow. _

"_Boss!" One of them called. _

_Sasuke immediately spun around, kicking the man in the jaw hard enough to send his head smashing into the wall behind him. Using his momentum, he whipped his sword out of the sheath and sent it flying towards another attacker. The hilt struck him squarely in the forehead, submitting him to unconsciousness, and spun in a casual arc above his fallen body. After throwing his sword, Sasuke had turned to the next opponent, delivering a devastating backfist, then reached out with his free hand just in time to pluck his sword from the air with his free hand and slash the last foe. _

_Rykie stared up in a terrified manner, still unable to see her rescuer, surely afraid that he would hurt her too. Sasuke leaned forward and offered his hand to her. When she didn't take it, he crouched down in front of her, extended his hand to her cheek, and wiped a tear away with his thumb.._

"_It's alright," he said softly. "You're safe now."_

_Suddenly she jumped up from her seated position, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace, toppling him over backwards._

"_Thank you," he heard her say through her sobs._

_Maybe it was the way she had said it, perhaps it was the way that she clung desperately to him, or the way that she had buried her face into his shoulder to hide her tears. Whatever it was, it reminded him of Sakura. It reminded him of the last time he had taken some small comfort in knowing there were people who cared about him._

_For a while, he just sat there. Holding her, waiting for her to compose herself as he tried to do the same. He couldn't understand why his old life kept haunting him. This girl was so much like the other one. He was always protecting her, always soaking up her tears. But whereas Sakura had annoyed him in doing so, he let Rykie continue freely. He needed someone to fill the void left by his team, someone who could stop the memories from assaulting him at night. _

_Eventually, he would rid himself of her, too. But for now, she could take the other's place. She could stop the thoughts that stirred in the darkness._

_He heard her sniff and swallow, trying to stop her panicked tears._

"_I-I'm sorry," she said, her voice muted by his bare shoulder. Then she raised her head and rubbed her eyes dry with one hand. "Thank you for saving me… again."_

_A faint smile touched her lips. It amazed Sasuke that she was able to muster even that small gesture in light of what she had gone through that night. She possessed a very unique strength that he'd only seen in one other person, a rather loud young boy with bright yellow hair..._

"_Come on," he said, pulling her to her feet quickly. He did so just as much to quell his own thoughts as to help her._

"_Where are we going?" Suddenly her voice was filled with fear again. Perhaps she thought Sasuke was still loyal to Orochimaru. Just because he had enough humanity to save her from those brutes didn't mean he would shelter her from his master. "Are you taking me to him? Please, I'll do anything you want, just let me leave this place!"_

"_Orochimaru's lair is completely sealed," Sasuke answered quickly. "Even I don't have enough pull around here to get you out."_

At least not yet_, he thought determinedly. _

_Finally they made it to his room. He brought her inside and locked the door. _

"_Wha… what are you going to do to me, then?" She asked, mistaking the locked door as a means of keeping her in, rather than Orochimaru's dark servants out._

"_You can sleep here," Sasuke said, gesturing to his bed as he walked around it to the night table to lean his sword against it. She cautiously approached, sitting on the corner farthest from him. Noticing her discomfort, he tried to sound reassuring. "It's alright. Orochimaru won't send anyone else after you as long as you're with me."_

_She still looked doubtful, most likely thinking he was only after one thing, as it seemed everyone in this miserable place was. To add merit to his words, Sasuke grabbed a blanket and placed it on the ground for himself. He propped a pillow up against the wall opposite from the door and grabbed his katana, symbolizing that he would watch over her._

"_Why did you help me tonight?" She asked sincerely, rising from her seated position. "Orochimaru was really mad earlier. What will happen to you when he finds out what happened?"_

"_Nothing," he scowled, raising his hand and clenching it into a fist. The knuckles cracked loudly. "He can't do a thing. He needs me."_

_Something in his tone must have suddenly emboldened her, because she crossed the room to his side._

"_Thank you," she said softly._

"_Don't thank me yet," he answered. "Tomorrow you'll have to prove yourself to him if you don't want the same thing to happen again. He'll make you fight his monsters and you'll see some horrible things."_

"_I already have seen horrible things," she responded, and Sasuke could hear the telltale signs of a girl about to cry. "I'm tired, I'm cold, and… I'm scared."_

_She swallowed loudly and paused for a moment to compose herself, proving his prediction wrong. It was as if she was unknowingly daring him to compare her to the girl from his old life._

"_But I'm alive," Rykie finished, smiling up at him. "And I can at least thank you for that."_

_Hesitantly, she leaned forward, and Sasuke couldn't stop himself from closing the distance himself, pressing his lips across hers softly in a comforting kiss. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck to pull him down closer, even though he wasn't much taller than she was. An involuntary gasp left her mouth as she realized what she was doing and she turned her head away to hide her blush against his shoulder._

_Sasuke pulled her close, laying his head against hers for a moment. When he looked up, the door was open and Orochimaru stood as a dark silhouette against the stones, his eyes full of cruel amusement, as a wicked laugh escaped his lips._

"_Enjoy it for now, Sasuke-kun," he tilted his head back and smiled, baring his fangs. "While you can."_

Sasuke clenched his teeth and glared, his Sharingan flaring to life, and he vaulted across the room. His sword, still sheathed, ran parallel to his left arm as he lunged at his target.

He roared in fury as he pounced, striking his sheath across the dark one's neck with all his momentum, knocking the two of them to the ground. Sasuke straddled his opponent and pinned the torso to the ground with his weight on the sheath, then ripped his blade out with a metallic screech, raising it high.

"This is the end, snake!" Sasuke cursed as he brought the sword down in a savage stab.

"Sasuke!" Her terrified voice cried out, and he twitched his wrist at the last second, plunging the tip of his blade several inches into the floor.

He stared in wide-eyed horror as he realized he was awake now. His breath came in shallow, quick spurts. His entire body trembled with adrenaline and relief. He had just almost killed Rykie.

Orochimaru was beginning to appear in his dreams frequently. At first he had thought they were simple nightmares, and shrugged them off. But as they occurred more and more, Sasuke began to wonder if Orochimaru's soul was still alive in him somewhere. The dreams happened far too often to disregard. Orochimaru was restless. His soul was trying to tear down the barrier Sasuke had created within himself, and it was beginning to affect Sasuke's subconscious mind. In all of his dreams, the serpent stepped from the shadows and said only one thing.

"_Enjoy it for now, Sasuke-kun… while you can."_

Orochimaru could only be referring to the power that Sasuke had gained from absorbing him. It was a warning. Somehow, Orochimaru planned to use the situation to his advantage and take control of Sasuke's body despite failing the transfer ritual.

"Sasu… ke?" Rykie's frightened voice cut through his thoughts and he snapped to attention, suddenly realizing that he was still pinning her to the ground and he hadn't explained why he had nearly killed her.

He rolled off her and sat back against his upright sword, closing his eyes and breathing hard. She sat up slowly, afraid of another reflexive attack.

Rykie had been unable to sleep soundly as well. She was so angry with him for bringing up the lowest point in her life, where she had been too terrified to defend herself and too weak to resist if she'd wanted to. Eventually, fatigue overcame her and she fell into a troubled sleep, fitfully waking up every thirty minutes or so. She had nightmares of that night, again and again. Soon she lost sight of what was dream and what was reality, and she expected Orochimaru to be staring her in the face if she dared to open her eyes.

Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore and went to Sasuke's room, hoping that if she could guilt him into letting her sleep in his room. As soon as she walked into the room, he had jumped from the bed and pinned her to the ground.

"Sasuke…?" She asked quietly, her former fear of the phantom Orochimaru gone, replaced with concern for the young man before her. This was definitely not the Sasuke she knew from before. Something was wrong. "What's going on?"

"… It's nothing," he finally answered. "Just a bad dream."

_Are you kidding me? _She thought angrily. She wanted to reach out and slap him out of his stupor, but she restrained herself. Instead, she said in a measured voice, "I'm not an idiot, Sasuke, what just happened?"

"Just what I said!" He answered severely. She couldn't see his face in the darkness, but she could practically feel his scowl directed towards her.

"About Orochimaru?" She asked hesitantly, unsure of how far it was wise to push him after what had occurred.

"Not directly," Sasuke started to explain before deciding it wasn't worth it to go into detail. "It doesn't matter. Just go back to sleep."

It then dawned on him that she had come into his room for some reason before he had involuntarily attacked her.

"What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I… couldn't sleep," She wondered how she was going to guilt Sasuke into feeling sorry for her now that he was in such a sour mood.

"That's it?" He answered in frustration.

"I wanted to stay with you…"

"That's out of the question. We already talked about this." He said dismissively, finally standing up and pulling his sword from the ground.

_This is going to be harder than I thought… _She grumbled inwardly. _I'll have to play it up._

"B-but Sasuke!" She cried out, false tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "I dreamed that Orochimaru was out to get me and I can't go back to sleep! Every time I close my eyes I feel like he's standing right on top of me!"

He stared at her in disbelief. A long silence stretched between them and she began to wonder if she had overdone it.

"… Just what are you suggesting?" He asked in an accusatory tone. He had mistakenly taken her acting for a joke at his expense, thinking she was mocking him about his nightmare. She didn't realize what she had done wrong, but soon she didn't care. Now that she was sure that Sasuke was going to be okay, the fear that had driven her to come to his room in the first place welled up inside her.

"I'm scared, Sasuke," she said sincerely. "I dreamt about the night Orochimaru attacked me… I dreamt about those men who… who… "

She surprised herself when genuine tears followed her shaking voice. She was even more surprised when she heard Sasuke's next words.

"I'm sorry…"

"What?" She asked, wiping at her eyes.

"I'm sorry for hurting you like that," he averted his eyes awkwardly to the ground. "It was a careless thing to say."

Emboldened by his apology, Rykie gathered her courage and tried again.

"So…" she started in a meek voice, "… can I stay with you tonight?"

She heard a heavy sigh as he gave in. "Fine."

Immediately she rushed towards him to be held in his comforting embrace, only to fall flat onto the bed. He had moved in an instant out of her path, without even being able to see in the darkness.

"How did you-?"

"I have far too much experience in dealing with your type," he answered her unspoken question wearily. "Now go to sleep."

He began to prepare a makeshift bed for himself on the floor, and an idea suddenly popped into her head and she smiled slyly.

"Um… Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Shouldn't I at least thank you for letting me stay here?"

"Shut up."

* * *

This chapter took a lot longer to submit than I had hoped! But it's finally up, leaving me free to continue on with the story and maybe slide a couple short fics in between chapters. The infamous "that night" has finally been recorded, so now you all know why Rykie is so clingy to Sasuke and why he allowed it in the first place. Hopefully she came off a little less hopeless than Sakura in her youth, with maybe a bit more strength despite what happened to her. Yes, she's still one of Sasuke's fangirls, but that really can't be helped, now can it? I hope I can establish a bit more of a difference between the two in the upcoming chapters, since in this chapter she was only portrayed as going through some terrifying experiences, and can you really blame a young girl for clinging to her hero after going through what she did?

Again, this chapter took longer than the other rewrites because, as all of you who read the first run can tell, it's quite a bit different from the old chapter 7. The story is beginning to go in a completely new style. You'll see some familiar situations in the next couple chapters, but after that, everything will be completely new!

Thanks again for your time and support! I wish I could erase the old chapter 7 with its reviews and replace it with this one so I could get some perspective on how people feel about this change so far. If there's actually a way to do that, I'd be pleased as punch to know what it is! If you like where it's going or hate it, please PM me and let me know what you think. I know I can't please everyone, but it would help a lot if I knew what everyone felt while reading!

Thank you all, I hope to update soon!


	8. Convergence

This is the first new chapter of "The Eyes That See All, Except What Lies Within" in over a year! For those of you who didn't know, either because you're new to the story or because you weren't receiving author updates when I was only editing chapters, I've been revising this story for quite some time now, unsatisfied with the direction it was taking. I can now say that I feel much better about where the story is going. If you haven't read the revised chapters 1-7, I strongly suggest that you do so before reading this, or you won't have any idea what's going on, lol. I haven't quite caught up to where I was in the story before I started revising, so there will still be some similar scenes on the horizon. However, the end result for this story will be completely different than what I had intended, and (I believe) much better. I hope you all stick with this story, despite the pace I had to take with it!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

It was late, but she wasn't tired. Her mind was restless, consumed by thoughts of Sasuke and their past… their future. The chilling wind whipped her hair about mildly as she shuffled along the street.

...

"_You should get some sleep, Sakura-chan," Shizune said worriedly._

"_I'll be fine," Sakura replied with a false smile. "Kakashi-sensei might need me."_

_From the bed behind her, Kakashi spoke up. "Don't tell me that my students have to fret over me, now. I'll feel like an old man…"_

_She only smiled in return, but this one was genuine._

"_Go home, Sakura," Kakashi ordered sympathetically. "You need time and rest to sort all this out."_

...

And so she had left the hospital, without purpose or direction. Finally she had decided to take the long way home, to prolong the hopeless inevitability of trying to fall asleep while thinking about _him._

_He's attracted to power, Sakura. Nothing more._

Kakashi's words had been rattling around her head for hours now.

_How can I prove to Sasuke-kun that I __am__ strong? _She despaired. _Even if I could, even if, beyond all hope, Sasuke-kun accepted me, how could I turn my back on the village?_

She argued with herself all night, trying to find a compromise, a loophole, _anything_ that would allow her to be by his side instead of watching him leave again. She could be a spy, sending Konoha information on their movements… but, if he found out, Sasuke would surely leave her behind. His mission was more important to him than she ever would be…

Her breath caught, and she found herself once again with a tear in her eye.

_Stop it, _she scolded herself. _I always knew that about him, from the first day we became Team 7. His whole life has been one of revenge… he won't rest peacefully until Itachi is dead._

Sakura stopped walking, and found herself standing across the street from the Konoha Police station. The Uchiha crest was proudly displayed on the front of the building. A symbol, from ages past: to enforce the law in a village of shinobi, those enforcing it must be the most powerful shinobi.

_Power… _She reflected on that word for the hundredth time that night. _The Uchiha possess it… and they are possessed by it._

"If I want Sasuke-kun to acknowledge me," she said aloud softy. "I have to become what he craves most."

There was a sudden movement through the window. Sakura crouched down and crossed the road swiftly, concealing herself behind bushes in front of the window as she peered in. Just as she got there, a silhouette moved up the stairs and out of her sight.

_Who…? _Sakura crept around the building quietly, ducking under the windowsills just in case the suspicious figure turned back.

There was a single door in the back, and it was propped slightly ajar. There was no sign of tampering, which meant whoever was inside had the key.

_Must be an officer working late on a case, _Sakura reasoned. Her mind had it figured, but her body kept moving against her wishes, cautiously through the door and to the steps. She held her breath as she climbed the stairs, wincing each time one threatened to give her away with a creaking groan.

At the top was a short hallway, with three doors. Light flooded out from underneath one of them, and she could hear papers being flipped through.

A shaking hand reached out to grab the knob, and she swallowed as quietly as possible.

_Just an officer working late…_

* * *

Sasuke waited several minutes after Rykie's breathing had slowed to a passive rhythm before moving. He slid off the bed soundlessly, and crossed the room in three silent steps.

_It's time to put an end to this, _he thought determinedly, striding purposefully through the dim hall to the storeroom. At the entrance, he picked up a lantern, and held it up carefully to examine the different crates piled up around the room. Originally, he had come to Konoha for one item: a scroll revealing the locations of all the hidden bases that the Uchiha had set up, stretching back from the time of the First Great Shinobi War to the night of their execution.

_No matter what allegiance Itachi has to this group, 'Akatsuki,' _Sasuke mused as he searched through the labels, _he has kept secrets from them. And those secrets need to be hidden where no one else knows where to look._

He located the scroll without too much trouble in a wooden crate full of many others. There were maps of countries, villages, and high-security buildings around the world, along with many other containers full of government documents and other useful items of espionage. Each was crested with the official seal and signature of Fugaku Uchiha, Sasuke's father and head of the clan.

_If only you had known… _Sasuke thought somberly, _that your greatest enemy wouldn't come from another country, or even another blood. You damned our clan when you bred your favorite son for battle._

He clenched the fist at his side.

_And neglected the other._

Sasuke turned away in disgust, focusing instead on his second objective. True, originally he had come only for the scroll, but his timetables had to be moved forward now.

_The cursed seal has to be removed, _he scowled, _to kill Orochimaru once and for all._

He never intended it to be used as a permanent tool. Sasuke had hoped that its power would be at his disposal when he fought Itachi, but he now realized that it would be impossible. The cursed seal was becoming unstable, and he could feel more and more of his chakra being used to hold back Orochimaru's spirit.

The seal was an abomination. It was an insult to his birthright. A useful tool for his training, but now it was unnecessary.

_I can defeat Itachi with my own power, _Sasuke thought confidently. _But first, I'll conclude my business with Orochimaru. His death will be my own rebirth.  
_  
Long ago, a researcher within the Uchiha clan had attempted to create a sealing jutsu, designed with the Sharingan's unique properties in mind. Namely, the ability to read an opponent's jutsu and copy it. He had hoped that these seals could be placed strategically on the battlefield to reflect attacks back on the enemy like mirrors. Unfortunately, the researcher had only managed to harness the power to read the opponent's chakra. Before he could complete his research, the Sharingan he was studying placed him in a horrifying genjutsu. The owner of that Sharingan was dead, and no explanation could be found. The researcher was driven mad in the illusion, and threw himself out a window in his panic.

_However, _Sasuke thought as he removed the lid from another crate and peered inside, _his research remains._

Inside were several sheets, with the sealing formulas prepared on them.

_The power to analyze the target's chakra, _he thought, satisfied._ Exactly what I need._

From there, Sasuke sealed the crate and left the room, grabbing a cloak as he headed up the stairs and out of the temple. The sealing formula would only enable him to target the cursed chakra. He still needed a sealing method to extract it. This last item wouldn't be found in the storehouse; he would have to go into the village.

_The final step to killing Orochimaru... _Sasuke raised he hood as he stepped into the brisk night air. _And I know exactly where to find it._

Kakashi's sealing jutsu for the curse mark that he placed on Sasuke during the Chuunin exams was only a temporary fix. It couldn't solve the problem, no matter how much 'willpower' was used to contain it. Sasuke had understood that from the beginning. When his cursed seal had advanced to the second form, Kakashi's own seal became worthless. What Sasuke needed was a sealing jutsu specifically designed to exorcise a certain chakra.

...

_Eight years earlier, Sasuke's father had come home from work cursing. Mikoto tried to calm him down, but when she saw that was impossible, she told Itachi to take Sasuke outside to play. Just before Itachi slid the door shut behind them, Sasuke heard his father murmur fiercely to his wife:_

"_Those bastards are trying to invent a jutsu to seal away the Sharingan."_

_Sasuke had never known what he meant. Itachi played tag with him, hide-and-go-seek, and trained with him all the time for several days. The fourth day, Itachi seemed very distant, as though he had something on his mind._

"_Nii-san, what's wrong?" Sasuke had asked._

"_Nothing, Sasuke," Itachi smiled. "But I won't be able to play with you for a few days. We're going on a special mission tomorrow."_

"_Special mission?" Sasuke asked suspiciously._

"_A very important mission for the Uchiha… and for Konoha."_

...

That was all Itachi would say on the matter. The next morning, Itachi, Fugaku, and two neighbors had left, and were gone nearly a week. They returned with sand in their shoes and a mysterious set of scrolls.

_And a righteous grin on father's face…_Sasuke smirked.

Thanks to Orochimaru's spies and his own investigation, Sasuke now knew what had happened. Sunagakure scientists were developing a seal for the Uchiha just as the Hyuuga head family employed against the branch family. Unlike the Hyuuga, however,they were working on a jutsu to destroy the Sharingan while its host was alive. And his father and brother had murdered them all.

Sasuke opened the drawer and began flipping through the documents carefully. The Uchiha were very secretive, if not outright paranoid, about their kekkei genkai. Something so specifically targeting of the Uchiha wouldn't have made it to the Hokage's office. That "special mission" probably hadn't even been authorized. The Uchiha responded to a direct attack on their clan with brutal efficiency, and not a single person outside it knew a thing.

_Here it is, _Sasuke grinned as he removed the sealing scroll from a falsely labeled folder and placed it in his cloak.

Just as the Uchiha researcher before them, the Sunagakure scientists hadn't perfected their technique. With no access to a Sharingan, they hadn't calibrated the sealing jutsu to its unique chakra. It was as though the Sharingan itself was cursed, that no person could even unlock its secrets. Once any researcher got too close, the Sharingan consumed him, one way or another. Even Orochimaru himself was taken over by its power.

Sasuke stood up to leave, but something caught his eye and he reached back into the cabinet.

_What… is this? _Sasuke looked over the scrap of paper he found carefully. Only two lines were written on it.

"Beneath the wicked eyes that never close have we hid the secrets of our own. The kaleidoscope of darkness."

_The Mangekyou Sharingan, _Sasuke grit his teeth.

The cursed power responsible for everything that had happened. The power that had allowed Itachi to defeat the Uchiha, and the power that had kept Sasuke from his vengeance.

_Beneath the wicked eyes that never close… _he wondered pensively. _Another shrine like the one back at the temple? Would this one contain any different information? Where would they have hidden it…?_

So preoccupied with the riddle, Sasuke didn't realize someone was approaching until there were footsteps just outside the door. He had ignored every other indication that he was being followed until his stalker was nearly on top of him. The door opened and he flashed across the room, breaking the light bulb as he did to catch his opponent by surprise.

In less than a second, Sasuke had the ninja in an arm bar and covered her mouth with his other hand.

"Did you honestly believe that you'd catch me that easily?" he growled in her ear. "Tsunade must be pretty desperate if she's sending chuunin-level shinobi after m-"

He breathed in her scent, a sweet smell that made his brain freeze.

His hesitation gave Sakura the opening she needed, and she pivoted in his arms to hit him hard with her elbow. The force to his chin snapped his head backwards and she wrenched free, whirling to face him.

"Sakura?" He whispered, wiping the blood from his split lip. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" Sakura answered, trying to appear more confident than she was. She had to show him that she had changed, that she wasn't the little girl she was when he left her.

"Get out of here," he glared. "Don't get yourself involved with me again."

"Sasuke-kun, why did you come back here?" She asked quietly. "Why did you hurt all those people? Kakashi-sensei…"

"Kakashi was a fool," Sasuke quipped angrily. "He didn't need to get hurt. My mission is absolute. He shouldn't have interfered. He should have backed down, rather than fighting to protect his own righteousness."

"You almost killed him!" She cried out. "All of them! If I hadn't been there, they would have died!"

"Then I guess it's a good thing that you happened to be there," Sasuke smirked, as if he had known all along that she would save them.

Sakura only shook her head as water began to form in her eyes. How could he be so cold? Even though he had never encouraged her as a child, he had never treated her this way.

"What's happened to you, Sasuke-kun?" She whispered tearfully. "How could you-"

"Stop. Sakura."

She gasped at the edge in his voice.

"Stop crying, stop chasing me, and stop shoving your damned judgment down my throat!" He surprised himself with his own severity, and, seeing the hurt etched into her soft features, he tried to calm down. "Sakura, I chose my path long ago. No matter what happens, I _will _kill that man. No one can get in my way. Not even you."

Where she had been hurt by his behavior only moments before, Sakura stared curiously at Sasuke now.

_Did I hear him right? _She wondered. The tone in his voice was softer. His face had smoothed out slightly when he had said it. _Not 'even' me?_

Sasuke realized it as well, but it was too late to take back his words. In that brief moment, he let his emotions get the best of him. He had covered them up immediately, but the damage was done.

_I'm getting too close to her again, _he thought angrily. _I have to get out of Konoha as soon as possible._

Sakura took a hesitant step forward and slowly raised a nervous hand to his cheek. He flinched slightly, but didn't move. His skin was warm, even through her gloves, and she realized that she was holding her breath.

_Move! _Sasuke urged his body. _Move! Move! You'll only hurt her more if you let her get closer. _

His limbs were ignorant to his mind's pleas. His lips could only form a single word.

"Don't…"

Sakura removed her hand, but she couldn't move away from him. Her emerald eyes remained fixated on his dark stare.

"This isn't another genjutsu, is it?" She asked softly.

"No," he replied. He had to fight against the urge to reach out to her. This power she had over his body infuriated him but he couldn't break it on his own, he could only barely hold it back.

"They're looking for you," she whispered. He could see tears creeping into her shimmering orbs again. "I had to tell him, Sasuke-kun."

"It doesn't matter," he clenched his fist at his side, feeling that he had some control again. "I have a mission, and I'll see it through soon."

She blinked her tears away quickly. "What mission…?"

His eyes suddenly hardened, and whatever moment they had just experienced was over. He was himself again; any softness he had felt towards her had either passed or had been imagined.

"What are you doing here…" he said in a sharp voice, scowling. "…Rykie?"

Sasuke steped aside slightly and turned his glare in the newcomer's direction. Sakura's gaze followed. The girl had chestnut hair, vibrant eyes, and a confidence about her that Sakura envied.

"Who…" Sakura narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "… is that?"

* * *

Life gets really busy sometimes, huh? I planned to submit this weeks ago, but then I had to go off to college, and this is the first bit of free time I've had to type it up and upload it. Sasuke and Sakura have had another meeting, and both are still struggling with their feelings for one another. I wouldn't say Sasuke has fallen for Sakura at this point, but he's definitely working hard to shut her out. There's still something more important that he needs to accomplish.

Again, this chapter took longer than the other rewrites because, as all of you who read the first run can tell, it's completely different from the old chapter 8. The story is now going in a completely new style. You'll see some familiar situations in the next couple chapters, but after that, everything will be completely new!

Thanks again for your time and support! If you have the time, leave a review! I personally respond to all reviews, and would love to hear what you think! If you like where it's going or hate it, please let me know . I know I can't please everyone, but it would help a lot if I knew what everyone felt while reading!

Thank you all, I hope to update soon!


	9. Dangerous Games

I'm excited to bring you the second new chapter of "The Eyes That See All, Except What Lies Within"! For those of you who didn't know, either because you're new to the story or because you weren't receiving author updates when I was only editing chapters, I've been revising this story for quite some time now, unsatisfied with the direction it was taking. I can now say that I feel much better about where the story is going. If you haven't read the revised chapters 1-7, and the new chapter 8, I strongly suggest that you do so before reading this, or you won't have any idea what's going on, lol. I haven't quite caught up to where I was in the story before I started revising, so there will still be some similar scenes on the horizon. However, the end result for this story will be completely different than what I had intended, and (I believe) much better. I hope you all stick with this story, despite the pace I had to take with it!

All characters, techniques, and terms belong to Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the Naruto Universe. The only rights I claim to this story are for the plot. Do not distribute this fic without my permission and proper credit.

* * *

"Who… is that?" Sakura asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion as she evaluated the newcomer.

The girl had silky brown hair and bright amber eyes. Not bright like those of a child– though she was young– bright with intelligence and confidence. Sakura could see in those eyes that she was mature beyond her years. They were eyes that knew suffering… eyes that knew death.

_Eyes just like Sasuke-kun's…_Sakura thought sadly.

She glanced back at Sasuke, waiting for his response, for some indication as to how she should act in the face of this intruder. He remained stoic; his dark orbs holding neither contempt nor comfort, only maintaining his trademark scowl. She knew that she wouldn't get anywhere attempting to decipher his impassive stare.

"Sasuke-kun," she prodded, again with no response.

In truth, he didn't know quite how to respond. In a way, he felt as though he had been caught cheating, except he didn't want anything to do with either one of them. Strangely, another part of him was glad for the interruption, glad that he had been freed from Sakura's hypnotizing stare. Above all others, his primary concern was getting back to the base without attracting any more attention. His mind worked furiously as he tried to work a way out of the situation. Mostly, he was only coming up with curses.

"Sasuke, what's going on?" Rykie asked, not to be left out of the interrogation.

"Answer my question first," Sasuke countered harshly, maintaining the pretense of control. "Why are you here?"

"I followed you, of course," Rykie answered flatly.

The way she answered was uncharacteristic of her. Her typical response was quick to please him, and this reply sounded less playful and more matter-of-fact. It was as though she was also attempting to appear in control. Sasuke gave a sidelong glance in Sakura's direction as he appraised this difference in character. He could only assume that the change was due to his former teammate's presence.

"I told you to stay back for the night," he said carefully.

"You said that Konoha would be on the lookout tonight," she returned. "In light of that, I thought you wouldn't go out until morning. I got curious when you got out of bed."

A hint of a smile crossed her lips as she continued. "Besides, when you left, you pulled the covers off of me, so I got cold."

He could tell that the latter comment was a direct attack at Sakura. Again, he glanced back at her to gauge her reaction. The comment hadn't missed its mark.

"Afraid to sleep alone in the dark?" Sakura quipped. "That's cute, maybe Sasuke-kun needs to buy you a nightlight to keep the ghosts away."

_Don't do this, Sakura, _Sasuke begged. _Don't play her games…_

"I don't think that's necessary," Rykie snapped. "A nightlight doesn't keep me warm like Sasuke does."

Although Rykie wasn't looking closely enough, Sasuke's keen vision noticed the hand at Sakura's side curl into a fist.

"Enough," he growled. With one last look towards Sakura, he turned on his heel and indicated their exit with a tilt of his head. "Rykie, we're leaving."

"You're going to run away again."

He stopped mid-stride. It wasn't so much what she said that surprised him as much as it was how she said it. It was no longer a question to her, as it had been only hours before. But she wasn't accusing him of cowardice, that he was afraid of being caught, afraid of the consequences.

_You're afraid of __me__, _was her unspoken challenge.

"Running away?" Rykie scoffed, misunderstanding the taunt. "Sasuke would never-"

"Who do you think you are?" He interrupted, though he didn't turn back around.

"I'd like to know the answer to that, myself," Sakura replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" His voice was steel.

Rykie observed cautiously apart from the argument, suddenly forgotten. And although that fact bothered her, it didn't bother her nearly enough to attempt to step in. As the spectator of a fight between cobra and mongoose, if she interfered with either, she would be eaten alive by both.

"Are you angry because you don't understand, or are you furious because you _do_?" Sakura pushed him further; tired of the game he'd been playing with her since he had returned. Only minutes earlier she'd been on the verge of tears because it seemed that he hadn't even seen her. Now she knew he was watching intensely, and more importantly, he knew that himself, and he couldn't stop.

Sasuke grit his teeth together despite his calm outward appearance.

_She knows what she does to me, _he thought, seething with rage.

Sakura was smart. At first she had fallen to Rykie's provocation, attempting to fight taunts with those of her own. Insulting Rykie would solve nothing, as long as Rykie believed that being with Sasuke meant she had already won. Now Sakura was on the cusp of victory because she changed the rules of the game.

But the loser of this game wasn't Rykie… it was him.

_You're not the only one who can change the rules, though, _Sasuke thought, restoring his calm.

"If you only knew how far off you are," he said, finally turning back to face her. "You'd like to know who you are to me? You're nothing."

"Show me, Sasuke-kun," Sakura replied.

"Show you? I already have, Sakura," he grinned. "Why do you think Rykie is here with me now?"

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. When she glanced away shamefully, Sasuke knew he had won. It had been one thing for Sakura to hear Rykie allude to a relationship, but hearing the same from Sasuke himself had broken her. She had no way to tell that it hadn't been truthful. He knew that he would have to deal with Rykie later because of it, but for the time being, it solved one of his problems.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Undoubtedly she would start crying, argue with him over something trivial and then finish with some accusation while he left her and his weakness behind once and for all.

"So that's it, Sasuke-kun?" She asked quietly, her face obscured by her pink tresses and bowed head.

"That's it," he confirmed, waiting for the tears.

If he hadn't been so sure she would give up, hadn't stood so calmly before her, completely certain that he was in control, that everything around him was his to manipulate, if he had given her even the slightest bit of respect for all the time they had spent together in the past, he may have seen it coming. He may have noticed the faint muscle tensions throughout her body. He may have sensed the calm anger in her voice. Hell, if he had held her in enough esteem to even observe her with his Sharingan, he may have discerned the chakra that gathered in her slowly clenching fist.

He didn't see a thing.

"Ugh!" A bookshelf splintered into hundreds of tiny slivers as his body broke through it. He fell forward on his face, barely catching himself with his arms to slow the fall. Blood matted his hair together as it seeped out of a gash behind his ear. He snapped his head back up angrily, Sharingan flaring to life as his Uchiha blood began to stir.

"Sasuke!" Rykie called out, turning so she could move to his side.

"Rykie move!" He yelled back.

She dropped to the floor just as Sakura's fist passed over her head and smashed into a post. The pole cracked, but didn't break. Evidence that Sakura had perfect control over the amount of chakra she released.

Rykie scrambled over to Sasuke as Sakura dropped back into a ready stance, watching Sasuke's every movement. She grabbed his right arm to help haul him to his feet, but he waved her off.

"That was a mistake," Rykie said, glaring at Sakura. "You don't want to make Sasuke angry."

"Trust me," Sakura returned, not even looking at her. "I know him better than you do."

"Heh," Sasuke smirked, getting to his feet. "That may be true, or it may not. In either case, I'm done here."

"You're letting her go?" Rykie demanded, suspicion creeping in the back of her mind.

"She's no threat to us," he said. "No one will even know we were here."

"What?"

"Isn't that right, Sakura?" Sasuke stared knowingly at his former teammate.

"Stop it, Sasuke-kun," she commanded. "Stop trying to play these games of yours. You don't control everyone, as much as you'd like to believe you do."

"Don't you understand that it's precisely because I do that you're standing where you are?" He returned. At her inquisitive glance, he continued. "I allow nothing in my world that I don't control. A lesson I learned the night my elder brother executed my entire clan and replayed it endlessly before my eyes. Every move I make is calculated. Precise. I'm here because Konoha was holding on to secrets of my birthright. You're here because you believe you can turn me away from revenge."

He gestured to the room around him.

"Look around you, Sakura. This building stands for the glory of my clan. A bright candle in a dark world, snuffed out in an instant by its own wax. Itachi must be destroyed," he clenched his fist, popping his knuckles. "And I'm the only one who can do it."

"You have no right to play with people's lives for something so selfish!" She said angrily.

"I'll do whatever it takes," he scowled. "I've made my choices. Now step aside."

"I can't beat you myself," she admitted after a pause. "But we'll find you, Sasuke-kun. No matter what hole you and your pet crawl into, we'll find you. We'll drag you back to Hokage-sama, lock you up, and then you'll be at the mercy of people with far less compassion than myself."

"Is that right?"

That same asinine smirk was plastered to his face, as though he knew something she didn't. She had learned over the years that, usually, that was exactly the case.

"You would do well to understand that I have no intention of showing that compassion to you when that day comes," she glared.

"Is that a threat?" His eyes narrowed with something that looked akin to either contempt or humor. "Or a promise?"

"For you, Sasuke-kun, it's both."

His smirk widened.

"Maybe there's hope for you after all."

With that, he turned and started walking away with Rykie at his side. It appeared as though their feet became inflamed, and as the fire traveled up their bodies, they disappeared, just as Sasuke had done with Orochimaru and Kabuto at their last meeting.

Sakura stared vacantly at the space where they had been, just before dropping to her knees and screaming.

"Damn it!" She cursed, slamming her fist into the floor.

Just when she had thought she figured him out, just when she was beginning to take his control away, he turned the tables with a twitch of his lips. As soon as she started pushing him, he disarmed her instantly.

_Maybe there's hope for you after all…_

_What did he mean? _She asked herself furiously. _And just who was that girl? Did he mean what he said about her?_

She had to consciously stop her hands from trembling. She was shaking with her jealousy. She was cold when he pulled the covers away? Sasuke kept her warm at night? How could it be true? She'd never seen Sasuke be anything but cold with any living person.

_Why? _She cried, covering her eyes with open hands as she knelt alone in the dark room. _Why would you choose her, Sasuke-kun?_

Had everything she'd seen in his eyes before that girl walked in been a lie? She had truly believed that she had seen compassion in that intense stare. He'd been staring through her… seeing everything that had changed within her since the day he left. Was it really just her imagination? Was it all a lie?

_This isn't another genjutsu, is it? She had asked._

_He had swallowed involuntarily. "No."_

_His voice was hoarse. His smoldering onyx eyes burned holes into her jade orbs. She felt like she knew everything he was feeling, every raw emotion laid out before her. She felt his desire… and yet, she felt something holding him back._

Was it _her? _Sakura suddenly thought. The girl was admittedly pretty. Curvaceous, confident, coy, everything Sakura had been told every guy wanted.

_No… _she thought. _This is different. Sasuke is different. I know what I saw in his gaze._

Sasuke didn't hold her stare for more than a moment the entire time Rykie was in the room. She was right before. He was afraid of her. Afraid of what her presence did to him. Afraid of losing himself… his purpose. It was all a lie. An act.

He claimed to control everyone around him, and maybe he did understand what forces and desires drive humans to the point that he could accurately predict what they would do and account for that. Maybe in that sense, he did control them.

_But he can't control himself, _Sakura thought. _And that's what scares him most of all._

He didn't care for Rykie any more than he did for her, perhaps even quite a bit less. She felt sorry for the girl, who undoubtedly had no idea what had happened.

His crimson eyes could see everything before them, but nothing of what lied within.

* * *

It felt like hours before Sasuke returned from his long walk. Rykie waited as patiently as she could while he trekked across the Uchiha grounds stealthily, spreading his scent around so that a ninja hound would know only that he had come to the clan district, but wouldn't have any idea where he went from there. He walked slowly all over the yards, then quickly made his way back to the hideout jumping from tree to tree, only landing for the briefest moment to get his bearings for the next jump. By the time he returned, she was practically bubbling over with anxiousness.

"Sasuke, who was that?" She asked, jumping up from her seated position as soon as he swung down from the roof.

He stared at her blankly for a moment, then walked past her inside.

"No one."

He felt triumphant. Free. Before Rykie had got there, he had been afraid that he was getting sucked into those big emerald eyes. He couldn't stop her from reaching out to him, couldn't stop himself from enjoying it. But the brief interruption Rykie had given him allowed him to seize his volition and finish this whole business once and for all. Sakura thought he was with Rykie, thought that he was after nothing more than the skin-deep pleasures she could bring. She would give up. He had won.

_Just one day, _he reminded himself. _Tomorrow, I will search for the shrine that the scroll I found in the police station mentioned, and then I'll leave Konoha. If I don't find it by nightfall, I'll leave anyway. Itachi's death is only days away._

"No one?!" Rykie interrupted his thoughts. "You think I'm going to buy that after all that just went on? Who was she? A classmate? An old girlfriend? Past lover? Just how young were you when you left the village?! I didn't even think that was possibl-"

"Rykie," he snapped. "Drop it."

He moved on ahead of her, leaving her to consider the situation herself.

_No one? _She scowled. _Yeah, right. You can play your innocent card all you like for now, Sasuke. But you'll drop that tonight, for sure! It doesn't matter who that girl was, because I'm going to win!_

_

* * *

_

Well, that's it for this chapter! I hope to have another one up soon! Sakura has finally realized just what she is to Sasuke, and she'll work hard until he realizes it himself! What's going to happen to Rykie? Who knows?! Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of DRAGON BALL - err... nevermind.

Again, this chapter took longer than the other rewrites because, as all of you who read the first run can tell, it's completely different from the old chapter 9. The story is now going in a completely new style. You'll see some familiar situations in the next couple chapters, but after that, everything will be completely new!

Thanks again for your time and support! If there are any grammatical mistakes or otherwise, please let me know. If you have the time, leave a review! I personally respond to all reviews, and would love to hear what you think! If you like where it's going or hate it, please let me know . I know I can't please everyone, but it would help a lot if I knew what everyone felt while reading!

Thank you all, I hope to update soon!


End file.
